Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



Feb. 16, 1960 Filed NOV. 5, 1954 A- LORENZ ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 40 24 a/ |a-' .2 462 G0 48 3O 26 34 52 64 5e 58 66 1a 14 IO 54 464426 55 2 7o 7 F :22 14o Q %|24 0 e- $62 I H6 I /l58 1e4 66 120/ a :45 a 151 5540 1411; :32 I68 INVENTOR. ANTON LORENZ ATTORNEY.

Feb. 16, 1960 A. LORENZ 2,

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed Nov. 5. 1954 2 sheets -sheet 2 w 7"? 240 224 }I 262. N /aao 274 2e0 2504 V -22z 242- 0 254- 26 220 QZGG 252 376 546 (H0 344 526 352 577 565 INVENTOR.

ANTON LORENZ ATTORNEY.

I 'and38 whereby a mechanism is formed:

ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Application November 5, 1954, Serial No. 466,994

8 Claims. (or. 155-106 repose of above described type wherein the movements or the movable members of the article from one position into another may be obtained with ease.

Another object of the invention is to improve on the construction of articles of repose as now customarily made. 1

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from. the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a reclining arm chair according to the invention, a portion of a side wall of the frame being broken away,

Fig. 2 is. a side elevational view of another embodiment of a reclining armchair according to the invention,

a portion of aside wall of the frame being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a. side wall of the frame being broken away, and

Fig-4 is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a reclining armchair according to the invention, a portion of a side wall of the frame being broken away.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 10 generally indicates a support or base comprising side walls 12 and 14 connected with each other in any suitable manner.

A back-rest 16. swingably mounted" on the support 10 at 18. has a downward extension. 20 rigid herewith.

A seat 22 is swingably mounted on the support 10 at 18 in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection of the back-rest 16 with the support 10.

: There is a first pair of links 24, 26 pivotally jointed at 28. Furthermore there is a second pair of links 30, 3.2 pivotally jointed at 34. Said first and second pairs of links are pivotally connected with each other at 36 of the type of lazy tongs A rear arm 40 of said lazy tongs 24, 26, 30, 32 is pivoted to the seat 22 at 42. The other rear arm 44 of said lazy tongs 24, 26, 30, 32 is pivoted at 46 to thelower end of an arm 48 swingably mounted on the support 10 at 50.

One endof a link 52 is pivoted to an intermediate point of said arm 48 at 54. The other end of said link 52 is pivoted to the downward extension 20 of the back-rest 16 at 56.

A leg-rest 58 is swingably mounted on the front arm 60 of the lazy tongs 24, 26, 30, 32 at 62. Furthermore, said leg-rest 58' is pivoted at 64 to one end of a controlling link 66, the other end of which is pivoted to the other frontarm 68 of the lazy tongs 24, 26, 30, 32' at 70.

"ice

Thus, when the back-rest 16 is swung about its pivot 18 Item the sitting position, snown in tull lines, into the reclined position to, snown in dash-and-dot lines, the seat 22 and the leg-rest :6 are brought rrom their sitting position, shown in run lines, mto tne reclined position 22' and 515, shown in dash-and-dot lines, by the mechanism described above. It will be noted that the lazy tongs 24, 26, 3'0, 32 propel the leg-rest 58 forwardly and that the latter is swung simultaneously about its pivot 62 by the controlling link 66.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, again the back-rest 116 and seat 122 are swingably mounted on the support at 118.. Furthermore, again a rear arm of the lazy tongs 124, 126, 130, 132 is pivoted to the seat 122 at 142. Moreover, again the leg-rest 158 is pivoted to the front arm 160 of the lazy tongs 124, 126, 130, 132 at 162 and a controlling link 166 is pivoted to said leg-rest 158 and the other front arm 168 of the lazy tongs 124, 126, 130, 132 at 164 and 170 respectively. 0

However, the rear arm 144 of the lazy tongs 124, 126, 130,132 is pivoted at 157 to the downward extension 120 of the back-rest 116 and at 155 to an arm 148 swingably mounted on the support 110 at 150.

As will bereadily understood, a swinging movement of the back-rest 116 from its sitting position, shown in full'lines, into a reclined position, shown in. dash-anddot lines, causes a positive displacement of the seat 122 and the leg-rest 158 from their sitting position, shown in full lines, into the position shown in dash-and-dot lines.

According to Fig. 3, a unit 272 comprising a back-rest 216' and a seat 222 rigid with each other is swingably mounted on the. support 210 at 274. Said unit 272 has a downward extension 220 rigid, therewith. V

The rear arm 240 of the lazy tongs comprising the links 224, 226, 230, 232 pivotally'jointed. with each other ispivoted to the seat portion of the. unit 272. at 242. The other rear am 244 of said lazy tongs 224, 226, 230, 232 is pivoted at 246 to the arm 248 swingably mounted on the support 210 at 250. Said arm 2.48 ispivoted intermediate its ends at 254 to one end of a link 252, the other end of which is pivoted at 256 to the extension 220 of the unit 272.

A leg-rest 258 swingably mounted on they front arm 260 of the lazy tongs 224, 226, 230, 232 at 262is-pivoted at 264, to one end of a controlling link. 2.66, thejother end of which is pivoted at 270 to the front arm 268 of the lazy tongs 224, 226, 230, 232.

When the unit 272 is rocked about its pivot 274 from the sitting position, shown in full lines, into the reclined position,shown in dash-and-dot lines, the leg-rest 258 is propelled forwardly and swung about its pivot 262' by the mechanism described above in dependence on the movements of the unit 272. r

According to Fig. 4, the seat-back rest unit 372 has a downward extension 320 which is rockably mounted on the support 310 at 376.

The rear arm 340 of the lazy tongs 324326.330, 332 is again pivoted on the seat portion 322 of the unit 372 at 342. Furthermore, again the leg-rest 358 being pivoted to the front arm 360 of the lazy tongs 324, 326, 330, 332 at 362i pivoted to one end ofthe controlling link 366 at 364, the other end of said controlling link 366 being pivoted to thefront arm 368 of the lazy tongs 324, 326, 336, 332 at 377.

The lower rear arm 344 of the lazy tongs 324, 326, 330, 332 is pivoted at 346 to one arm 378 of a doublearmed lever 380 swingably mounted on the su port 310 r at 382. The other arm 384 of said double-armed lever 380 is pivoted at 386 to one end of a link v352, the other end of which is pivoted at. 356 to the downward exten sion 320 of the unit 372.

It will be readily understood that the link mechanism described above causes movements of the leg-rest 358 in coordination with rockingmovements of the unit,372. Each ofithe embodiment described above may be equipped with limiting means for limiting the sitting posi: tion and the extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair. t

, Furthermore, each of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be equipped with locking means for bolding the movable members of the chair ,in any desired position. v, v

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is, fr the purpose of illustration and thatvarious changes in shape and proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent'elements for those, herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the irive'ntionas's et forth in the appended claims. whatl'cl'air'n'isz" f l. ,A reclining chair, comprising: a base, body sup porting means including aseat and a back-rest rockably mounted on 'said base, a first pair of links crossing each other and pivotally jointed at their crossing point, a second pair of links crossing each other and pivotally jointed at their crossing point, the frontends of the links of said first pair of links being pivoted to the rear ends of said second pair of links so as to form lazy tongs, one of the rear arms of said lazy tongs beingpivoted to said seat at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end thereof, actuating means operatively engaged with said back rest and the otherrear arm of said lazytongs for effecting movements of said rear arm in, coordination with movements or said back-rest, a leg-rest swingably mounted on one of the front arms of said lazy tongs, and a"controlling' link pivoted to said leg-rest andthe other front arm of said lazy tongs."

2. In a recliningchai'r as claimed in claim 1, said seat and back-rest being movable relative to each other, said actuating means including a downwardextension rigid with said back-rest, an arm swingably mounted on said base, said'arm being pivoted tosaid other rear arm of the lazy tongs, and a link pivoted. to said arm and to said extension. t

3. In a reclining chair as claimed in claim 1, said seat and back-rest being movable relative to each other, said actuating means including 'a' downward extension rigid with said back-restand pivoted to said other rear arm of the lazy tongs, and an arm swingably mounted on said base'and pivoted to said other rear arm of the lazy tongs.

4. In a reclining chair as claimed in claim 1,-said seat and back-rest being rigidwith each other so as to form a unit, said actuating means including a downward extension rigid with said unit, an arm swingably mounted on said base, said arm being piyoted to said other, rear-arm of the lazy tongs, and a link pivoted to said arm and to said extension.

, 5. A reclining chair, comprising; a base, body sup each other and pivotally jointed at their crossing point, a

third and fourth link crossing each other and pivotally connected at their crossing point, the front ends of the first and second links being pivoted to the respective rear ends .of the third and fourth links so as to form a lazy tong structure, the rear end of the second link being pivoted to the seat, lazy tong actuating means operatively engaged with said back-rest extension and the first link for effecting movement of said first link in coordination withmovements of said backrest, a leg-rest swingably mounted on the fourth link, and a controlling link pivoted to said legrest and to said third link.

' 6. A reclining chair comprising asupport, a body- 4 supporting structure including a seat and back-rest mounted for tilting movement on the support, a leg-rest, a leg-rest control linkage .carrying said leg-rest and adapted to guide said leg-rest in a selected path between a retracted position beneath the seat and an extended position forwardly of the seat, and a constrained linkage for actuating said leg-rest control linkage in response to tilting movement of said body-supporting structure, said constrained linkage including as movable links a first arm and a second arm pivotally mounted on the support at spaced points thereon, said first arm constituting a depending extension of said body-supporting structure, and a connecting link extending between and pivotally connected to said arms, said constrained linkage also including as a stationary link that portion of the support between the pivotal connections of said arms to the support, said leg-rest control linkage including a front pair of links crossing each other and connected at their crossing point by a first pivot, a rear pair of links crossing each other and connected at their crossing point by a sec ond pivot, the front ends-of the rear pair of linksbeing connected to the rear'ends of the front pair of links by respective third and fourth pivots, said pairs of links forming a closed quadrilateral linkage-boundedby the first, second, third and fourthpivots, one ofsaid front pair, of links being pivotally connected to said leg-rest, a further link connecting the other of said front pair of links to said leg-rest, one of the rear pair of links being connected to the seat at a point spaced rearwardly from the front of the seat, the other of the rear pair of links being coupled to said constrained linkage.

7. A reclining chair comprising a support, abody supporting structure including a seat and back-rest pivotally mounted on the support for tilting movement betweenan upright sitting position and a rearwardly tilted reclining position, said body-supporting structure having a depending extension movable therewith, a leg-rest, a leg-rest control linkage carrying said. leg-rest and adapted to guidetsaid leg-rest in a selected path between-aretracted position beneath the seat and an extend'ed position forwardly of the seat, and a constrained four-bar linkage coupled vto said leg-rest control linkage and adaptedto swing upwardly and forwardlyin response to rearward tilting movement of said body-supporting structure for actuation "of said leg-rest control linkage,.said constrained linkage including as movable links said depending extension of the body-supporting structure, an arm pivotally mounted on the support, and a' link connecting said depending extension and said arm; said constrained linkage also including as a stationary link thatportion of the support between the pivotal connections of said arm and said body-supporting structure to thesup port, said leg-rest control linkage including a first and second link crossing each other and connected at their crossing point by afirst pivot, a third and fourth link crossing each otherj and connected at their crossing point by a second pivot, the front ends of the first and secondlinks being respectively connected to the rear ends of the third and fourth links by respective third andfourth pivots, said four links forming a closed quadrilateral linkage bounded by the first, second, third and fourth" pivots, said fourth link being pivotally connected to said leg-rest, a further link connecting the third link to a spaced point on said leg-rest, said second link being'connected to the seat at a point spaced'rearwardly from the front 'of the seat, said first link being pivotally cone nected to the arm of said constrained linkage for actuation of said control linkage by said constrained 'linkage'to raise said leg-rest in response-to tilting movement of said body-supporting structure. 7 8. A reclining chair comprisinga support, a body-support ng structure including a seat and back-rest pivotally mounted on the support for independent tilting movement relative to each other, said back-rest havinga depending extension movable therewith, a leg-rest, a leg-.

rest control linkage carrying said leg-rest and adapted to guide said leg-rest in a selected path between a retracted position beneath the seat and an extended position forwardly of the seat, and a constrained four-bar linkage for actuating said leg-rest control linkage in response to tilting movement of said back-rest, said constrained linkage including as movable links said back-rest extension, an arm pivotally mounted on the support, a link connecting said back-rest extension and said arm, said constrained linkage also including as a stationary link that portion of the support between the pivotal connection of said arm and said back-rest to the support, said legrest control linkage including a front pair of links crossing each other and connected at their crossing point by a first pivot, a rear pair of links crossing each other and conected at their crossing point by a second pivot, the front ends of the rear pair of links being connected to the rear ends of the front pair of links by respective third and fourth pivots, said pairs of links forming a closed quadrilateral linkage bounded by the first, second, third and fourth pivots, one of said front pair of links being pivotally connected to said leg-rest, a further link connecting the other of said front pair of links to said legrest, one of the rear pair of links being coupled to a portion of the constrained linkage for actuation of the control linkage by the constrained linkage in response to pivoting movement of the back-rest, the other link of the rear pair of links being pivotally connected to the seat at a point forwardly of the pivotal mount of the seat on the support, whereby actuation of said control linkage also effects coordinated tilting movement of the seat in response to tilting movement of the back-rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,672,919 Luckhardt Mar. 23, 1954 2,693,845 Hoffman Nov. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,394 Sweden May 13, 1905 

